By Mandi Rice, St. Louis Public Radio
ST. LOUIS – Bill Corrigan, the Republican candidate for St. Louis County Executive, spoke out this week against any proposed merger between St. Louis City and County.
"Inheriting all the economic problems that exist in the city, and the funding liabilities that the county would incur by merging the two,it would be an economic disaster for the county," Corrigan said during Thursday's edition of St. Louis on The Air.
Corrigan's opponent, Democratic incumbent Charlie Dooley, told the Post-Dispatch last month that a city-county merger would make government more efficient. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay expressed support for that idea after his re-election last year.
Corrigan said the two governments should remain independent, but work collaboratively.
"The mayor and I can go out and recruit businesses," Corrigan said. "We can work together to move this city forward."
Corrigan also opposed the suggestion that the city could join the county as its own municipality. Corrigan said that providing city residents with the services required by state law would be too costly.
"Those are expensive and burdensome," Corrigan said. "It would cause a tremendous strain on the county's budget."